Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Happy birthday March babies! Your official birthstone is not only
beautiful, it’s full of history and mythology. Here are some interesting
facts about your birthstone, the aquamarine.

In addition to being the birthstone for March and the Zodiac sign of
Pisces, aquamarine is also the gemstone used to celebrate a 19th
wedding anniversary.

The aquamarine is a transparent pale blue variety of beryl
(beryllium aluminum silicate) — the same mineral family that emeralds
belong to.

Like many beryls, aquamarine forms large crystals suitable for sizable fashioned gems and carvings.

The word aquamarine is derived from the Latin phrase “aqua marinus,”
meaning “water of the sea” because they are said to resemble the
beautiful blue green of ocean water.

Aquamarines were once said to calm waves and keep sailors safe at
sea. March’s birthstone was also thought to enhance the happiness of
marriages.

Aquamarines come in a wide range of shades and colors, from pale sky
blue to richer blue, and blue-green. The rarest and most valuable
aquamarines are those with a deep blue color.

The best gems combine high clarity with limpid transparency and blue to slightly greenish blue hues.

The color of aquamarine is due to trace amounts of iron that works
its way inside the crystal. Most commercially sold aquamarines are heat
treated to produce a more desirable blue-green color.

Aquamarines have a hexagonal-shaped crystal system. They are
pleochroic in nature, meaning they can show three colors, depending on
the angle they’re viewed.

Like many gems, aquamarines are said to have metaphysical powers,
including the ability to clear and cleanse, refresh and uplift the mind.
They are also said to promote courage, calm, compassion, tolerance,
love, communication, self expression, reasoning, intellect, and
connection to one’s higher self.

Aquamarines are also said to aid in the healing of sore throats,
swollen glands, calming nerves, improving vision, and cooling sunburns
and fevers.

The ancient Romans believed that Neptune, the god of the sea,
obtained aquamarines from the jewelry boxes of the Sirens. Legend has it
that Neptune gave aquamarines as a gift to the mermaids.

Because of its bond with the sea, aquamarine is the gemstone of
several sea goddesses, including Aphrodite, also known as the Greek
goddess of love.

Aquamarines are also said to bring safety to sailors, who are known
to wear aquamarine talismans engraved with the likeness of Neptune, as
protection against dangers at sea.

Aquamarines are mined in exotic locations including Nigeria,
Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan and Mozambique, but most modern aquamarines
come from Brazil.

One of the largest aquamarines ever mined weighed 110.5 kg (243 lbs). It was found in 1910 in Marambaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

In the United States, the only location where you can mine for
aquamarines is Mount Antero in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. The
elusive gem is said to be found at altitudes of 14,000 feet or more!